As I made my way around Lake Minnewanka, words from Marilynne Robinson’s great novel, “Housekeeping”, provided a narrative text to accompany my journey around the perimeter of the frozen lake. “Imagine a Carthage sown with salt, and all the sowers gone, and the seeds lain however long in the earth, till there rose finally in […]

A deep freeze of frozen rivers and snow clad peaks reminds us how insignificant we are, frail and impermanent. You can’t help but to feel small in this endless landscape of rolling grasses, rugged mountains, and infinite sky. “Adieu to disappointment and spleen. What are men to rocks and mountains?” ― Jane Austen, Pride and […]

Maybe it’s just that it’s so well organized. The trains run on time, it’s denizens follow rules, and there seem to be contingencies in place for every possible hiccup, even drunken tourists . Perhaps this leaves a small space, beyond the perils of modernity, for something that resembles grace. Here are some tips. 1: Plan. […]

While the rest of the world drags itself out of bed at 4:00 a.m. to watch a bunch of guys haggle over tuna at Tsukiji Market, I am still fast asleep. After treating myself to a hot bath and an elegant Japanese breakfast, I will be ready to start my day. I’ll spend the day […]

Some women fall prey to Manolos, while others lose their heads (and 401K’s) to Chanel or Louis Vuitton. I’m just not that kind of girl. For me, it’s kitchen stuff – wasabi graters made of sharkskin, spoons and ladles, stoneware, katsuobushi shavers. Above all, carbon steel, given a final bump and grind, while you watch, […]

Senso-ji, dedicated to the bodhisattva of compassion, Kannon, is metropolitan Tokyo’s oldest temple. Most of the temple was destroyed during Allied bombing raids in 1945 and rebuilt after the war. Senso-ji’s history dates back nearly 1400 years to 628 AD when, according to legend, two brothers were fishing in the nearby Sumida river and dragged […]

Ramen and other Asian noodles have become a contact sport in the United States. This is pretty much true of cooking and most other kitchen activities, once recognized as the domain of women. Just like the caves at Lascaux before Robert Bly got hold of ’em. Okay, the caves are ours. Always have been, always […]